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MISSISSAUGA—Friends of We Care celebrated 30 years of sending children with disabilities to camps at the International Centre on June 1.

The organization, supported by members of the foodservice and hospitality industry nation-wide, has raised $16.5 million for The Easter Seal Society of Canada over the three decades.

More than 1,000 gathered for the 30th anniversary of Friends of We Care gala June 1.

The money has helped send more than 38,000 children with disabilities to summer camps across the country.

Executive director Kevin Collins said the organization has maintained the same mandate since a group from Associated Food Distributors (AFD) initiated it in 1983.

Collins said many former ambassadors of the charity were able to attend the 30th anniversary celebration, including graduate of The Curtis Institute and The Julliard School Adrian Kramer. The baritone singer has performed with the Canadian Opera Company and sang the national anthem at the gala.

“It was just absolutely incredible to hear him and his performance was first-class,” said Collins to ORN.

“There are so many incredible stories: one of our kids is participating in the Paralympics. He was in London last year and he’s getting ready to go to Rio in 2016. We’ve got another young ambassador who was part of Team Canada’s sledge hockey that won gold in Japan recently.”

He said the camps allow the children to learn life skills, but also share experiences and have fun.

“Being born with a disability myself and getting the chance to attend camps for eight summers as a kid; it enables people the opportunity to realize that having the disability is not going to be as big a challenge as it could be,” said Collins.

“There are many people out there that have similar, if not worse, situations than you do and the camps provide an environment where there’s absolutely no barriers,” he said.

“There are no curbs, no restrictions, so these kids can be kids. They can participate in arts and crafts, swimming, a variety of sports, rock climbing walls, rope climbing, there’s a whole gamut of different things that are fully set up and adapted for kids with disabilities,” he said.

The celebration – including a cheque presentation of more than $1 million to the parent charity – drew about 1,000 guests and recognized significant contributions to the industry and community.

The Gary Wright Humanitarian Award, named in honour of the founder of the organization, was presented to Don LeBlanc, director of purchasing for Darden Restaurants. LeBlanc has been involved with Friends of We Care for more than 16 years.

Wright, part of the founding group from AFD, passed away a few years after Friends of We Care was launched.

He had a son with a disability and, familiar with the work of the Easter Seals, arranged the partnership.

Proctor and Gamble was given the Corporate Friends of We Care Award, and president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods Michael McCain received the We Care Hall of Fame Award for his contributions to the growth and development of the industry.

Friends of We Care raises funds through member sponsorship and annual events and donations.

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Michelle LeBlanc Sinclair

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Ishcom Publications was established in 1986 with the launch of Ontario Restaurant News, offering national coverage with a provincial focus of the news that matters to the restaurant and foodservice industry. The company expanded its regional concentration with the addition of Pacific/Prairie Restaurant News and Atlantic Restaurant News. In 2004, Ishcom Publications added Canadian Lodging News to its portfolio to offer its industry news coverage to the accommodation sector.